Hours before death, Nitin Desai appealed to state to take over studio

Navi Mumbai: Hours before he was found dead in his Karjat studio, art director Nitin Desai recorded an appeal to the Maharashtra government to take it over and use it for the benefit of art and artists instead of allowing it to fall into the hands of financial institutions. The noted art director, who died by suicide on Wednesday, made 11 audio recordings before killing himself.

Raigad Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge, confirming that there were 11 recordings, denied that any businessman or politician had been named in them. He, however, confirmed that there was a mention of the Edelweiss group and some of its employees. “This is part of the investigation and we cannot reveal the context of the message,” he said.

Vishal Thombare, a friend of Yogesh Thakur, a helper at the studio, narrated the sequence of events as he heard them from Thakur. “On Tuesday night, Desai instructed Thakur to leave him alone in his studio, as he wanted to meditate but to come back on Wednesday by 8.30 am and check the voice recorder,” he said. “Thakur did as he was told. Desai’s audio message began with ‘Lalbaugchya raja la majha shevat cha salaam (My last salutations to the Lalbaug Ganesh idol)’. He then said that he was on a particular floor and Thakur should come there. Suspecting that something was amiss, Thakur rushed to the said floor and saw Desai hanging.”

Adding that Thakur had not heard anything further in the audio message, Thombare said his phone had been seized by the police for forensics, as he was the person who was most in touch with Desai. “Another strange thing was that Desai had fashioned a bow and arrow of a rope on the floor of the ‘Marathi Paul Padte Pudhe’ set and hanged himself from the ceiling above it,” he said. “We are unable to understand what that bow and arrow meant. It definitely has some significance.” Desai also left a note in which he mentioned that his last wish was to be cremated on the helipad created at ground number six in the studio. Desai’s last rites will be conducted on Friday at his studio, as per his wishes.

As of now, a case of accidental death has been registered while further investigations are on, said Raigad Superintendent of Police Atul Zende.